Grip for cable railways



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0. SGHOLZ. GRIP FOR CABLE RAILWAYS.

No. 353,713. Patented Dec. 7, 1886.

N, PETERSv PhMo-Li CHARLES SGHOLZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

GRIP FOR CABLE RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Lette1s Patent No. 353,713. dated December 7, 1886.

Application filed April 13, 1886. Serial No.198fl59.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES ScHoLz, a sub ject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grips for Cable Railways. of

I which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The nature of my invention relates to certain improvements in grips for cable railways, describedin Letters Patent of the United States No. 325,633, issued to me on September 1, 1885 and also in application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 183,062, filed by me on November 17, 1885; and it consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figurel represents a side elevation of the grip as tightened upon the cable; and Fig. 2, a similar view of the same opened wide enough to disengage and throw oif the cable. Fig. 3 is a similar view again, with the cable engaged and showing by dotted lines the position of parts for automatically disengaging the cable. Fig. 4 is an edge view, Fig. 5 a vertical section of the grip, and Fig. 6 an enlarged sectional View of parts thereof; Fig. 7, an elevation of the movable jaw-frame detached, and showing the journal-box in dotted lines; and Fig. 8, a longitudinal vertical section of the upper aw. 7

Corresponding letters in the several figures of the drawings designate like parts.

A denotes the beam that is rigidly suspended and secured under the floor of the car, and to which all the parts composing the cable-grip are connected. To the top of this beam A is rigidly secured an arch-plate, B, having aseries of ratchetteeth, a, to one end, and two such ratcl1et-teeth, a, to its opposite end, and to beam Ais also rigidly connected the pendent plate G, that to its lower end has the upper jaw,'D, of the cable-grip. The lower jaw, E, is secured to a frame, F, the parallel side bars of which embrace the plate 0 and pass through slotted openings in beam A, and in upper grip-jaw, D, to be vertically guided therein. The upper curved conneetingbar of this frame F is vertically slotted for the two guide-arms, b,

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of lever H, both being pivotally connected with beam A by links J, that, together with such lever end and with such crank I, form toggle-joints, by which the lower jaw is lifted for clamping the cable with great force. These cranks, as will be noticed, are placed on a sufficient angle relative to lever H to require about the full sweep of such lever in one direction for moving the cranks to a straight linev with the links J. The cranks being rig idly connected with lever H, while the links are pivoted at both ends, the height of frame F and lower jaw, IE, will be changed with every movement of the lever H from right to left, or reversely. This change is due to the relative position of the links with respect to the cranks I and lever H- As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, thetoggles,whieh are formed by cranks I and links J, are differently disposed. In Fig. 1 the cranks and links are about perpendicular, the lever H is thrown well toward the right, and the jaw E is clamped up tight against the cable; while, as shown in Fig. 2, the position of the toggles is changed, so that their points of connection tolever H and barA are nearer to each other, and the jaw E is dropped out of engagement with the cable, and lever H is thrown well to the left.

It is not necessary to throw thelever H any farther toward the right than is shown in Fig. 1, but it will be understood that the relative positions or angles of the different members composing the toggle may be varied at will,

so that the throw of the lever H can be varied as desired to effect the engagement and disengagement of the cable.

To lever H is pivotally connected a pawl, d, engaging with the ratchet'teeth a or a, the tail end of which pawl, by a rod, 0, is coupled with the tail end of an auxiliary handle, f, pivotally connected with the handle portion of the leverH in such amanner that by contracting the two handles the pawl d is lifted out of enl of the ratchet-teeth, a, thereby dropping the gagement with the ratchet, and by releasing the handles f the pawl d is pushed into engagement with such ratchet-teeth by a spring, h.

An arch-shaped bar, K, is pivotally secured with its center to the center of arch-bar B by a bolt, 13, in a manner to bevibratable thereon, and the pawl d is sufficiently wide to extend transversely over the edge of bar K in a manner that a vibration of such bar K will lift the pawl d out of contact with the ratchet-teeth a of bar B,when the lever H, by the action of a spring, j, and by the tension of the cable, will be shifted to swing to the 0pposite side for the pawl d to engage with one lower jaw to be wide open.

A supplementary frame, L, consisting of two-vertical bars exterior of frame F, also movably guided in the slotted openings of beam A and connected on top by a longitudinal bar shaped like the top bar of frame F, and connected near their bottom ends by two bars, 70, one against each side thereof.

To the center of each bar It is pivotally secured a roller, m, and to one end of the upper bar of frame L is fixed a cam-extension, n, engaging with therounded end of bar K. A cam-plate, Z, secured against the crank part of lever H,will support frame L to follow the vertical movements of frame F when raised and lowered by lever H, and bystill swinging the lever farther after the grip has been opened. This cam Z will lift frame L for throwing off the cable by the action of rollers O, as will be hereinafter explained, and is shown in Fig. 2.

In places where the grip has to release one cable to cross another, or for other reason, the cable might be torn if the driver should forget to open the grip in proper time, or without some safety attachment that will release and throw off the cable from the grip automatically, and forthis latter purpose I secure within the cable-tunnel in proper position wedges M, that, with the car moving by them, their pointed endswill engage under rollers m, and then with passing over the incline of such wedges the frameL will be lifted, when the cam-extension n will press under the end of arch-bar K, and will swing such arch-bar to lift the pawl d, thereby releasing lever H, that will swing to its opposite position and will drop the lower jaw of the grip, and after passing the wedges M the frame L will drop again by its own gravity to find its support on cam-plate Z.

The base-plate of the lower j aw, E, is extended beyond the concaved jaw-plates proper, and to both ends it has pivoted sheaves or rollers vN, on which the cable rides while the car is slackened or stopped, which rollers may be made vertically adjustable, and upon this base-plate arev also secured vertical studs 10, forming the pivots for rollers O, which rollers at their bottom ends are provided with conical flanges. These rollers 0 have each turned a journal in their upper ends, thatis held in a guide-loop, o, secured to the lower extremities 1 of the side bars of frame L with a collar or head'to the top end of each roller, that prevents its disengagement from such guide-loop,

and causes such rollers to follow the upward movement of frame L when lifted by its roller m, riding over wedge M, or when lifted by lever H, whereby the conical flanges of such rollers will shift the cable sidewise off the rollersN and off the lower jaw of the grip. Sufficient free vertical play is provided for the 'journals of rollers 0 in their loops 0. that the simple releasing-of the cable for stopping or slackening the car will allow the rollcrsO to follow the motion of the lower jaw.

While the lower jaw, E. is rigid with its frame, the upper jaw, D, has a shoe, R, connected therewith by a series of pivotal links, 1), that with moving the shoe It in the pulling direction of. the cable will come to a vertical or nearly vertical position, but with a pull in the opposite direction will release the cable, for the purpose that with a sudden slackening of the speed of the cable or with an irregular motion thereof the car is independent of the movement of they cable when it runs faster, but will be coupled again the moment its speed becomes less than the cable.

ready releasing of the cable by shoe R.

It frequently happens with cable railways that when a horse crosses the track one of the calks of its shoes wedges into the cable-grip slit, whereby such shoe will come off thehorses hoof and will remain an obstruction to the cable-grip, and is apt to break it or the cable, and therefore as a safeguard I put extensions 1 and s to the pivotal arch-bar K,each such extension reaching into the trackslit, so that no matter in what direction the car moves one of the extensions that is forward will have to meet the obstruction in advance of the grippendant, the object being to produce a forcible Vibration of arch-bar K, that will disengage pawl 01 of lever H from the ratchet-teeth of arch-piece B in the same manner as with the lifting of frame L by wedge M, thereby releasing the cable without, however, throwing itoff the lower jaw of the grip. For this purpose one of the extensions, r, is made solid with arch-bar K, while for producing the required movement of such arch-bar from the opposite direction the extension-barsisaseparate piece pivotally secured to beam A at t and coupled.

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with the arch-bar K by a bolt, u, passed through the slotted ends of both.

As will be readily seen, with the above-described safety devices accidents that would cause the breaking of the cable are entirely obviated.

striking against any projecting fixed piece in the cable-tunnel would accomplish the same object, and therefore I do not wish to be re stricted to the particular construction herein shown and described.

What I claim is- 1. The combination, with the toothed bar 13, lever H, and pawl d, of the supplemental bar K, pivoted to bar B and capable of covering its entire line of ratchets a, and connections, substantially as described, to the lower portion of the grip to be acted upon by a projection in the tunnel, as and for the purpose set forth.

2. In a cable-grip, the combination, with toothed arch-bar B and with lever H, having pawl (Z, of pivotal bar K and frame L, with roller m, to engage with a stationary incline, all substantially as described, to operate as speci fied.

3. The combination, with stationaryinclines arranged within the cable-tunnel, of a cablegrip having toothed arch-bar B and operatinglever H, with pawl d, and being provided with pivotal bar K, and frame L, with rollers m and cam 02, and connecting mechanism, substantially as described, between frame L and lever K, all constructed and arranged, substantially as set forth, to operate as specified.

4. The combination,with stationary inclines arranged within the cable-tunnel, of a cablegrip having toothed arch-bar B and operatinglever H, with pawl d, and being provided with pivotal bar K, and with frame L, having roller m, cam n, and rollers 0, all constructed and arranged substantially as and for the purpose set forth, to operate as specified.

5. In a cable-grip, the combination of the movable lowerjaw, E, the vertically-sliding frame F, to which said jaw is attached, the le ver H, links J, and cranks I, with beam A and bar B, substantially as set forth.

6. In a cable grip, in combination with toothed arclrbar B and with operating-lever H, having pawl d, the pivotal bar K, having extensions r and s, that reach into the cable-grip slit, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES SCHOLZ.

Witnesses:

ANTON SOHOENINGER, H ARRIS W. HUEHL. 

